Authority troupes without ageplay

[Dirty_Old_Pervert]

If, as an author, you want to write a story where the reader will instinctively assume that in a rational world, Character A would have authority over Character B, one of the easiest ways to do that is to make Character A an adult and Character B a young person. Our ability to do that is limited in light of the "no underage characters" rule, so what I am looking for is a brainstorm of alternative ways to say "Character A should have authority over Character B."

One way, of course, is to make Characters B 18 years old and otherwise write the same authority figures (parent-child or teacher-student), but I feel like that seems like an overused troupe. College professors don't have the kind of authority high school teachers do, nor do workplace bosses (unless there is something unusual about the company). I suppose a military or a prison setting might be a possibility.

Other thoughts? What are some good ways to present an authority dynamic that doesn't involve underage characters?

 

[Lifestyle66]

College professors, teachers, military, prison guards, police, workplace bosses, etc all have authority of some kind. Professors and teachers hand out grades for compliance. Bosses hand out paychecks for compliance.

It just depends on what the authority is commanding, and what type of compliance you are expecting. Is it about sexual favors?

 

[Emilymcplugger]

If, as an author, you want to write a story where the reader will instinctively assume that in a rational world, Character A would have authority over Character B, one of the easiest ways to do that is to make Character A an adult and Character B a young person. Our ability to do that is limited in light of the "no underage characters" rule, so what I am looking for is a brainstorm of alternative ways to say "Character A should have authority over Character B."

One way, of course, is to make Characters B 18 years old and otherwise write the same authority figures (parent-child or teacher-student), but I feel like that seems like an overused troupe. College professors don't have the kind of authority high school teachers do, nor do workplace bosses (unless there is something unusual about the company). I suppose a military or a prison setting might be a possibility.

Other thoughts? What are some good ways to present an authority dynamic that doesn't involve underage characters?

Political characters and their underlings makes for an interesting power-dynamic.

Journalist and editor also is one.

Is it a dom/sub type arrangement?

You could also have talk show host and writer.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Other thoughts? What are some good ways to present an authority dynamic that doesn't involve underage characters?

Many ways, just a few here.

You could write in B’s thoughts about A, their emotions when they’re together

Dress. B could be envying A’s purse or watch or car. Wealth can be a status indicator.

Conversation. A directs B to do something. B asks A for a day off.

Posture, the way the two stand.


Or you could just say it.

Good luck.

 

[KeithD]

As an author, you have the control to establish the power relationship between characters and the reasoning behind it (which doesn't have to be rational) as you wish.

 

[AlexBailey]

Blackmail.

It's particularly tasty because the "victim" of the blackmail usually has to have crossed some line to be susceptible to it, though the leverage could be gained by many other methods.

-There was a crooked cop in a nearby town who was just recently put away for many years for blackmailing and raping several local women. He used several different points of leverage and was finally caught by a improvised sting by the social case-workers of some of his victims.

- Politicians often commit elections fraud that other ladder-climbing insiders know about.

- County and state inspectors can screw over business owners.

- Mental health authorities can have leverage over people's lives.

- Parole officers...

- Administrators of wills and inheritances...

- Border security...

- Even filing clerks in government offices...

A blackmailer can easily become the victim of blackmail themselves. You can make quite a flip-flopping story out of it.

 

[ElectricBlue]

You're talking about tropes, not troupes.

A troupe is a group of dancers, actors, or other entertainers who tour to different venues.

 

[Duleigh]

If, as an author, you want to write a story where the reader will instinctively assume that in a rational world, Character A would have authority over Character B, one of the easiest ways to do that is to make Character A an adult and Character B a young person. Our ability to do that is limited in light of the "no underage characters" rule, so what I am looking for is a brainstorm of alternative ways to say "Character A should have authority over Character B."

One way, of course, is to make Characters B 18 years old and otherwise write the same authority figures (parent-child or teacher-student), but I feel like that seems like an overused troupe. College professors don't have the kind of authority high school teachers do, nor do workplace bosses (unless there is something unusual about the company). I suppose a military or a prison setting might be a possibility.

Other thoughts? What are some good ways to present an authority dynamic that doesn't involve underage characters?

Military is exceptionally fun if you understand the risk behind using R.H.I.P. (Rank Has It's Privileges) to coerce someone into sex, especially when the tables are turned and the ranking person is a female. You may have noticed that the USAF doesn't talk about the first female combat pilot in US history, she was a B-52 commander who really liked her enlisted crew chief. The USAF didn't take kindly to that, BUT in a fictional world she could still be flying high.

How about this, a small-town cop pulls over a young, hot girl for speeding, and decides he's going to use his authority to get into this 18-year-old cheerleader's panties when the comely young driver pulls out her phone to show the cop her proof of insurance and instead shows him pictures of himself and her mom after the bake sale for the cheerleading squad. Now the role of authority has changed in an instant and she decides to black mail him into bed.

 

[Bramblethorn]

If, as an author, you want to write a story where the reader will instinctively assume that in a rational world, Character A would have authority over Character B, one of the easiest ways to do that is to make Character A an adult and Character B a young person. Our ability to do that is limited in light of the "no underage characters" rule, so what I am looking for is a brainstorm of alternative ways to say "Character A should have authority over Character B."

One way, of course, is to make Characters B 18 years old and otherwise write the same authority figures (parent-child or teacher-student), but I feel like that seems like an overused troupe. College professors don't have the kind of authority high school teachers do, nor do workplace bosses (unless there is something unusual about the company). I suppose a military or a prison setting might be a possibility.

Other thoughts? What are some good ways to present an authority dynamic that doesn't involve underage characters?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservatorship

 

[lovecraft68]

This should be in story ideas the forum designed for other people to write your story for you.

 

[Blind_Justice]

I'm surprised no one mentioned religion and cults. The guru of a new trend religion has some commandment that special blessings administere by him and only him will lead to enlightenment/eternal happiness. And there have been enough recorded cases of bible belt preachers taking advantage of naive and unaware members of their flock. They used all kinds of verbiage ranking from baptisms to absolution to plain old "special communion".

Wonderful role models, really.

 

[SimonDoom]

The obvious one is employer/employee.

The more nuanced and interesting one is to make it a matter of personality. Some people are more dominant than others, and it doesn't have to be a matter of employment, or family relationship, or anything else. One could write an interesting story where an employee with a domineering personality dominates a boss.

 

[Dirty_Old_Pervert]

All good points that have given me some things to think about. I suppose the first issue is what, specifically, the author is trying to accomplish with the authority dynamic.

The parent-child dynamic provides the following:

1. The "Taboo" factor: Most readers will instinctively conclude that it is really "messed up" for characters with this relationship to be having any sort of sexual relationship at all.

2. The "No appeal" factor: You can quit a job. You can drop a college class. Your landlord can't evict you without going to court. For some stories, you need an authority figure from whom there is no appeal and no escape.

3. The "trust" factor: Some authority figures are expected to act in their charge's best interests. Thus, there is a sense of betrayal when the character abuses their authority. There is no sense of betrayal when a prison guard abuses a prisoner, since prisoners do not trust prison guards. The a priest-paritioner relationship might be an example of the opposite.

4. Legitimacy: The mob boss may have power over you, but its not necessarily the case that he SHOULD have power over you. This can be important in two ways: Either becausw it will affect other characters' reactions to the relationship ("your boss is harassing you, report him to HR," vs. "You should listen to your parents because they know what's best." It also affects how rraders might react to a role-reversal scenario: If the student ends up giving the teacher a spanking, that's seriously messed up. If someone turns the tables on a mob boss, however, that's just normal business.

So perhaps there is no all-encompassing rule here -- it's just a matter of what, specifically, you are trying to accomplish.

In any case, I appreciate all the responses. You've given me a lot to think about.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I'm surprised no one mentioned religion and cults. The guru of a new trend religion has some commandment that special blessings administere by him and only him will lead to enlightenment/eternal happiness. And there have been enough recorded cases of bible belt preachers taking advantage of naive and unaware members of their flock. They used all kinds of verbiage ranking from baptisms to absolution to plain old "special communion".

Wonderful role models, really.

Sex and religion - that is one potent combination. I have one another site about a 1950s priest and one of his young (19) parishioners. Although, she seems to have the upper hand in that relationship.

Cults are very good too - I think there are some real-life examples where the leader took advantage of his female followers. The genders could be flipped, like Aimee Semple McPhearson, an evangelist from years ago, who ran off for a while with some man - I'd have to check who he was. Having her as bi-sexual would also be a nice touch. I'd probably change her name if I wrote about someone like her.

The more pious they are, the harder they fall.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

The Dirty Driving Instructor used to be a trope of porn films and roleplaying. I think he went out of fashion as women realised they could vote with their feet and find a different instructor, but with the post-Covid backlog of people wanting driving lessons, it may become an issue again.

While you can take your test at 17 in the UK, by the time people save money and take the theory tests and all, they're usually at least 18 for most of their lessons. Don't know how plausible it would be in much of America, say.

 

[yowser]

as women realised they could vote with their feet

The notion is intriguing.

 

[gunhilltrain]

The Dirty Driving Instructor used to be a trope of porn films and roleplaying. I think he went out of fashion as women realised they could vote with their feet and find a different instructor, but with the post-Covid backlog of people wanting driving lessons, it may become an issue again.

While you can take your test at 17 in the UK, by the time people save money and take the theory tests and all, they're usually at least 18 for most of their lessons. Don't know how plausible it would be in much of America, say.

I have a story like that on another site, except she is the one making the move on the instructor. They also keep up the affair after she passes her driving test. It was well-received, so maybe I should put a revised version on Lit.

 

[txblush]

If, as an author, you want to write a story where the reader will instinctively assume that in a rational world, Character A would have authority over Character B, one of the easiest ways to do that is to make Character A an adult and Character B a young person. Our ability to do that is limited in light of the "no underage characters" rule, so what I am looking for is a brainstorm of alternative ways to say "Character A should have authority over Character B."

One way, of course, is to make Characters B 18 years old and otherwise write the same authority figures (parent-child or teacher-student), but I feel like that seems like an overused troupe. College professors don't have the kind of authority high school teachers do, nor do workplace bosses (unless there is something unusual about the company). I suppose a military or a prison setting might be a possibility.

Other thoughts? What are some good ways to present an authority dynamic that doesn't involve underage characters?

A Dom/sub story because it's a power exchange dynamic in the BDSM genre.

 

[tenyari]

If you were writing in an East Asian language, for several of them the language itself would solve this problem for you, as choice of words and grammar are often based on dynamics with the Confucian social system.

In English you can achieve the same effect with a little more work. Just have the junior character refer to the senior one in deferential terms and body language. Junior and senior as defined by the power dynamic.

If one of them is often checking with the other for approval, for mentorship, or whatever - the dynamic starts to speak for itself.

 

[Maxiine]

Military is exceptionally fun if you understand the risk behind using R.H.I.P. (Rank Has It's Privileges) to coerce someone into sex, especially when the tables are turned and the ranking person is a female. You may have noticed that the USAF doesn't talk about the first female combat pilot in US history, she was a B-52 commander who really liked her enlisted crew chief. The USAF didn't take kindly to that, BUT in a fictional world she could still be flying high.

We just need to backdate this a bit. Make it a Soviet B-17 or B-24 (they used a few repaired aircraft that had been interned) and they had female combat pilots.

Four female officers (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, bombardier) who by military necessity were flying with six or seven enlistedMEN who served as the ship's crew chief and gunners... Sounds like fun!